The present invention relates to a unit for combing wrapped chocolates.
In particular, the present invention relates to a unit whereby chocolates, wrapped in substantially metallic sheet material, are fed axially through an annular combing element for smoothing out any creases or unevenness on a lateral surface of the chocolates.
The above process is normally performed on a combing unit comprising a combing drum rotated in steps about a respective axis of rotation. At each step, a chocolate for combing is loaded onto the drum, in a direction crosswise to the axis of rotation of the drum, and is fed in steps about the axis of the drum to a combing station where each chocolate is fed, crosswise to the axis of the drum, through an annular combing element located in a fixed position at the combing station.
Units of the above type are fairly slow, on account of each combing operation requiring a stop between two successive steps of the combing drum. Moreover, the stop itself is also fairly long by comprising the time taken for a movable element supporting the chocolate to move, crosswise with respect to the drum axis, from an initial rest position to a work position to feed the chocolate through the annular combing element, and the time taken for the same supporting element to disengage the annular combing element and move back into the initial rest position.
One way of increasing the speed of combing units of the above type is to accelerate the steps between one stop and the next. Over a given limit, however, the sharp acceleration and deceleration to which the combing drum would be subjected would result in mechanical damage to the combing unit or in severe stress and irreparable damage to the chocolates.